‘Keeping continuity’ might save Cleveland’s Lue his job
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue has a long list of immediate concerns.
Keeping his job isn’t currently one of them.
Despite Cleveland’s recent slidea nd his team’s lack of cohesion, the Cavaliers reportedly have no immediate plansto replace Lue.
The status of Lue, who led the team to an NBA title in 2016 and three consecutive Finals appearances, came into question after a 32-point home loss Saturday to the Houston Rockets, the latest blowout suffered by a team in disarray. But Lue’s job isn’t in danger because of the need for “keeping continuity” at this challenging time, given Cleveland’s roster overhaul and injuries, according to a source.
ESPN first reported that Lue’s job wasn’t in jeopardy.
Cleveland has lost 12 of 18 and LeBron James and his teammates have been beaten by at least 24 points in four games in the span. They were booed by fans in Quicken Loans Arena almost from the start of the performance against Houston, and after the game, Lue and several of his players challenged the team’s level of effort and trust.
“We didn’t have no fight,” Lue said.
James said: “I’m at a loss for words.”
Isaiah Thomas said the struggled is internal.
“We’re not together on both ends,” he said. “There’s a lot of one-on-one on the offense end, maybe because we don’t trust each other. And then on the defensive end, it’s the same thing. Guys are put on islands and there’s no trust. I mean, if you don’t trust something . I don’t know.”
A search for answers has yielded no solutions in this prolonged slump, and Cleveland has looked overmatched against the league’s elite teams. The Cavaliers have lost eight consecutive games on national TV, prompting James to half-heartedly joke the team should be dropped from future network appearances.
Lue, who took over the Cavaliers midway through the 2016 championship season when David Blatt was fired, has been criticized for an unwillingness to change his lineups. But he has had to juggle minutes because of injuries and the Cavaliers makeup was altered radically when Thomas returned from a hip injury that knocked him out of the 2017 playoffs with Boston.
The Cavaliers haven’t been the same since Thomas came aboard, and the former All-Star has struggled trying to find his rhythm and shot. It has created a trickle-down effect through Cleveland’s lineup, weakened an already feeble defensive team, and raised tensions in the locker room.
And as if Lue didn’t have enough problems, the Cavaliers lost All-Star forward Kevin Love this week with a broken hand. Love could be out two months, and there’s no telling what the team will looklike when he returns.
The trading deadline is Thursday, and the Cavaliers have been engaged with several teams about potential deals. At this point, there might not be anything they can do make them title contenders this year. Although Cleveland owns two firstround picks to swap, the team’s front office must decide whether it’s worth investing in this core group or begin rebuilding for the future while not knowing if James will leave this summer for a secondtime in free agency.
As for the present, James has not been himself on the court. He’s going through a puzzling slump, and after scoring just 11 points Saturday and taking only 10 shots, his night ended with him whipping the ball in disgust toward one basket as the thirdquarter horn sounded.